Zika travel insurance coverage isn’t on most policies

Cancelling a trip as a result of the presence of this virus in the area is not covered in typical policies.

Travelers looking for Zika travel insurance are surprised to learn that it’s not easy to find. The typical policy does not provide coverage for cancellation due to Zika virus risk. Insurance companies and health agencies are warning vacationers to inform themselves before booking.

The CDC has released new guidance meant for doctors whose patients are pregnant.

Those directions are also meant to focus on pregnant patients who have recently traveled to at-risk parts of the world. The focus is specifically on regions where birth defects have occurred in conjunction with tropical illness. Despite this fact, Zika travel insurance is still not commonplace.

The guidance instructs doctors to talk to pregnant patients about their travel. Doctors should ask questions about symptoms when their patients have gone to Zika-affected regions. If certain symptoms are present, doctors should test their patients for Zika virus infection.

Many people are looking into Zika travel insurance out of fear that they will need to cancel their trips.

While a traditional travel insurance policy will not cover you for a cancellation due to Zika, some policies do. There are different types of insurance policy. Basic travel coverage does not cover cancellations due to disease outbreak. However, it is possible to purchase policies with trip-cancellation coverage for virtually any reason.

As long as you purchase that type of Zika travel insurance policy ahead of time and cancel it before it starts, then you should be covered for reimbursed expenses. Some of those policies will even protect you if you interrupt the trip once you’ve already left. Because they’re designed to include cancellation for any reason, this includes disease outbreak and pregnancy. They are usually more expensive than travel insurance and will cover about three quarters of your prepaid expenses.